Willits has its 'best ever' Sunday Toy Run

The sun shone down on the Willits Toy Run Sunday, and bikers came out from all over Northern California to enjoy the warm weather.

"We had a couple hundred bikes, easily," said organizer "Bear" Kamoroff. "I rode close to the end of the parade, and there were so many bikes I couldn't believe it. It was phenomenal. Fire Chief Carl Magann said it was the most motorcycles he'd ever seen.

"And the children's Christmas program will benefit immensely from everybody's generosity. We got a U-haul full of really nice toys."

"It was a great day," agreed fellow Toy Run organizer Rich Venturi. "The weather was fantastic, and that always brings the bikers out. It was probably one of the best turnouts we've ever had as far as the number of bikers. And the largest number of people we've had filling Little Lake Grange, that's for sure, it was fantastic." Venturi said the Toy Run after-party brought in "the most many we've ever raised for the cause, too, with the best auction we've ever had, as far as folks buying stuff. I couldn't be prouder to live in this area."

All proceeds from the auction and raffle at the Toy Run party-and all the toys people donated as the "admission price"-go to the Willits Kids Christmas Tree Program.

Those Christmas trees-decorated with cards listing the age, gender and needs/wish lists of each child, for givers to choose-are up already in stores and other Willits locations already, Jerry Turner told The Willits News Tuesday morning. "The Toy Run folks get us kicked off every year. I think there's maybe one more tree we need to put up, because we got a request," he said.

Turner said he and his wife, Sandy, were pleased to see that, so far, requests for help are running a little bit slower than last year. "It looks like we're actually going to see fewer people in the program this year, so maybe that's a clue that things in the economy are getting a little better," he said.

With Caltrans staff occupying the AM&D building that has served as the "Santa's workshop" for the Christmas Tree Program in recent years, headquarters-and the drop-off area for donated toys-has moved to the Sparetime Supply warehouse area at the east end of San Francisco Street this year.

The Turners have been working the kitchen at the Willits Toy Run party for several years. "This year was a bigger turnout than we anticipated," Turner said, "and we came as close to running out of food as we've ever done. I saw the look on Sandy's face, and I guarantee you that next year, we'll have a 55 gallon drum of spaghetti and meat sauce in reserve so that will never happen again."

There were people waiting in line outside the Grange door to eat for more than an hour, and "there wasn't a drop of food left," Kamoroff said, "after the last person walked through the door. Rotary came through with exactly enough food to feed everybody."

The grand finale item of the auction, Venturi said, like last year, was a bar stool made from a motorcycle seat, donated by Huddle Construction.

"It's a beautiful piece," Venturi said. "It's a leather seat, with an all-chrome stand, and it brought the best bidding we had, with four or five people strongly bidding for a good 10 minutes. It finally sold to a gentleman out of the Bay Area for $300."

Other attendees from out of the area included the owner of the motorcycle shop in Healdsburg, members of the Redwood Empire Harley Owners Group chapter in Cotati, and bikers from Eureka.

Kamoroff wanted to acknowledge everybody involved in putting on the Willits Toy Run and after-party: "the Grange, the Rotary, the Lions and the dozen or so people who work for the Toy Run. They worked nonstop on Sunday," he said.

"We'd like to send all of them 'thank yous.' And so many merchants in Willits and in Ukiah, who get asked over and over, found space for one more raffle gift for the Toy Run. Everything goes to the kids and families who need a little extra help at Christmas time."